Simulated baseball game



Nov. 18, 1958 E. HUGHES SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME Filed Feb. 25, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENToR.

Elmer Hughes l Nov. 18, 1958 E. HUGHES SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 195'( lll/1111111111llllllllLTv/lllINVENTOR. Elmer Hughes Attorney United yStates Patent O SIMULATEDBASEBALL GAME Elmer Hughes, Berkeley, Calif. Application February 25,1957, Serial No. 651,564 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-88) The invention relates togames in which balls are manually shot or otherwise caused to roll overa playing lield and of the general type sometimes referred to as pinballgames.

An object of the present invention is to provide a game of the characterdescribed which is modeled after a baseball game and is designed toafford a skillful and realistic play in and scorin-g lof a game ofbaseball.

Another object of the present invention is to provide-a game of thecharacter above which is visually attractive, simple in construction andyet fully automatic in its functioning and scoring in simulating themany individual plays of a baseball game.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a game of thecharacter described which is compact, light in weight, adapted for lowcost, mass production and continuous and foolproof operation over a longand useful life.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, whichof which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention, which is illustratedin the drawings accompanying and Yforming part of the specification. VItis to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawings and description may 'be :adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims.y

Referring to said drawings (two sheets):

Figure l is a plan view of a ball accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of the apparatusoperatively connected to a schematic wiring diagram showing theelectrical circuit ofthe game.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the game takensubstantially on the Figure l.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the game taken from the positionsuggested by line 4-4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the game takensubstantially on the plane of line 5 5 of Figures l and 3. p

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of a portion ofthe playing eld of the game` generally identified as area 6 6 in Figure1.

Figure 7 'is a transverse cross-sectional view of the game takensubstantially on the plane of line 7--7 of Figure 6. l

The ball game of the present invention and as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings consista-briefly, of aninclined playing field 11,a shooting device 12 by -means of which the player may'direct a ball 13onto the upper game constructedv in plane ofline 3-3V ofY part 14 of theiield forrolling gravitation thereover, a

plurality of downwardly sloping ball-confining paths 17, 18, 19, 20 and21, lhere representative of l'a walk, a`one, twoand three-base hits anda homerun respectively, ballreceiving stations-22, 23 and 24 alignedwith the lower ends of paths 18, 19 and 20 for receiving balls therefromICC and ygenerally representing iirst base, second base and third base,the stations 22-24 being disposed on declining levels for the rolling ofa ball from one to the other of the stations and from the lowermoststation 24 to a run exitway 26, means 27 counting the number of ballspassing through exitway 26, ball-retaining gates 31, 32 and 33 at anddefining the lower ends of stations 22, 23 Vand 24 respectively, andmeans 36 in certain of the paths responsive to balls passingtherethrough for opening and closing of gates 31-33 so as to effectmovement of the balls from one to another of the stations and to theeXitway 26 in the same manner as a runner is advanced around the basesin a baseball game. Accordingly, with a ball in, say, station 22,representing rst base, an ensuing ball rolling down path 18 representinga one-base hit, will effect a single cyclic opening and closing of thegates`31-33 so as to advance the ball from station 22 representing lirstbase, to station 23 representin-g second base, while the ballrolling'down path 18 moves into the first base station. Similarly means36 is so arranged that a ball rolling down the two-base hit path 19 willeffect a double cycle opening and closing of the gates to effect adouble step advance of balls in any of the stations; and the means 36 inthe three-base hit path 20 responds to a ball rolling therethrough toeffect a triple cycle opening and closing of the gates to effect atriple step advance of balls in any ofthe stations' and in similarfashion the means in the homerun path 21 is responsive to a ball passingtherethrough for elfecting a triple cycle opening and closing of thegates 31-33.

Preferably the upper part 14 of the playing eld, above the start ofpaths 17--21, isprovided with one or more' ball-receiving openingsfunctioning to remove a ball from the playing lield and thus beingrepresentative of a put-out. As here shown, one opening 41 intheuppermost part of the lield and rst most likely encountered by a ball,represents a strike-out opening, and a series of three openings 42, 43,and 44 arranged below opening 41 represent left -eld y-out, center fieldily-out,

and right lield y-out, respectively. These openings may be graded insize, as shown in Figure l, being largely at the more probable course ofmovement of the balls over Vwhich runs from an upper end 47 at the'lower end of path 17 to a lower lend 48 terminating in the ball exitway26 at the lower end of path 21, and the several gates'V 31-33 aremounted in this diagonal path 46 'to define.' the several ball-receivingstations 22-24; and in order` to carry out the realistic playing of thegame, there is providedrin the diagonal passage-46 one or moreswinginggates having a normally biased positionrextending across the diagonalpath land aligned with one of the paths '1S-2l) for. directing a balltherefrom into the underlying station, the gate being formed andmounted` for displacement by a ball guided thereby` to a position Alying lacross and closing the station on a downwardly sloping diagonalso as to shunt ensuing balls `from the.` closed station to the nextlower station. As best seen yin Figures 1 and 6, three such hinged gates51', V52 and n 53 are mounted in the diagonal path 46 and are normallyVbiased to positions aligned with paths 18, 19y and' 20" for directingballs into the'flrst, second and third base; "stations 22-24. Each ofthe hinged gates is pivotallyjy mounted intermediate its ends forswingingV movement as depicted in Figure 6. Thus a ball 54`descending inpath-18 or a ball.56 descending in the diagonal path 46 from the walkpath 17 will strike the upper 'end l57' of hinged gate 51, as depictedby-.ball 58,iand thusbe` directed by the gate 51 into the4 iirst basestation 22, Y

Patented Nov. 18, 1958 the ball coming to rest at position S9 againstgate 31. As will be seen in Figure 6, the ball rolls laterally instation 22 to its position against gate 31 and in so doing engages thelower end 61` of gate S1, thus swinging thisv gate in a counterclockwisedirection to a position,` as.V

depicted in dotted lines, against a stop 62 wherein the gate 51dieslacross the normally open end of'station 22 and on a diagonalgenerally parallel to the path 46. As also will be observed from Figuresl and 6, the diagonal path is widened opposite the one, twoand threebasehit paths 18, 19 and 20 so as to define first, second and third basestations 22-24 at the substantially lower half of the widened pathandleaving the upper half of the path open so that ensuing balls may pass aclosed station, as depicted by ball 63-in Figure 6. Hinged gates 52 and53 are mounted within the widened part of the diagonal passage in thesame manner as described in connection with `gate 5-1A so that thesegates similarly move from their normally biased position, directingballs into their associated underlying stations to closed positionsacross these stations, so as to shunt ensuing balls past the closedstations. As noted, the hinged gates 51-53 are biasedfto their stationopen position as shown in solid lines in Figure 6 so that they willautomatically return to such open position when gates 31-33 are operatedto release balls therein.

The means, heretofore identified by general reference numeral, for.cycling the gates 31-33 is preferably electrically operated. and hereincludes a solenoid 66 mounted*Y for. raising of gates 31-33 and whichis operatively connected to a source 67 of electric potential and a`series of switches connected electrically in parallel as illustrated inFigure 2, and arranged in the passages 1821 for closing by balls rollingtherethrough. One such switch 71 is located adjacent the upper entranceof the one-base hit passage 1S. Two such switches '72 and 73 areprovided inthe two-base hit passage 19, switch 72 beingpositioned,adjacent the upper entrance of the path, and switch 73: being spacedmedially of the length of the path. Three such switches 74, 75 and 76are positioned at, the entrance to and at longitudinally spacedpositions along the three-base hit path 20, and in a similar fashionthree-switches 77, 7 S and 79 are provided in the homerun path 21.

The balls maythemselves form part of the electric circuitry byusingpolished steel balls in the game and forming the switches 71-79 ofspaced metal strips such as strips 81 and 82 in-the case of switch 71,which arespaced for jointvengagement with a rolling ball in path 18;These several paths 17-21 may be conveniently formed by a plurality ofspaced parallel ribs 83, 84, 85, 86 and 87 on the top wall 88 of thegame defining theplaying field 11, rib 83 being spaced from a raisedside wall'89 to define the walk path 17, rib 83 being spaced from rib 84to define the one-base hit path 18,A rib 84 being spaced from rib S5 todefine the two-base hit path 19, rib SSbeing spaced from rib 86 todefine the three-base hit path 20, rib 86 being spaced from ribr 87 todefine the homerun path 21, and rib 87 being spaced from an oppositeside wall 91 to define a passageway 92 for the balls leading from theshooting device 12 to the Vupper part 14 of the playing field.

The Vswitch contact strips 51-82 may be mounted either on the opposedsides of ribs and 34 or, as here shown, on the floor of path 18 and onthe side of the adjacent rib 84 so that a 'ball 'entering the path 18will jointly engage the two switch contacts. to thereby close thecircuit through the metal ball itself, Similarly the contact strips forthe remaining switches i2- 79 may be mounted either on the opposed sidesof the ribs detining theV paths or in each case on the fioor of suchpaths and the side of one, adjacent rib. With referenceto FigureA 2, itwill beA seen that all of the switches 71-79 are electrically connectedinl parallel with each'other. andwithsource 67 andthe fieldiwinding 93ersolenoid.

Cil

-in the base stations 22-24.

66 so that closing of any of the switches will energize the solenoid.Source 67 may be conveniently provided by flashlight cells 96 and 97mounted at the under side of the playing field as illustrated in Figure3.

As above explained, the function of the switches 71-79 is to effect acyclic opening and closing of the gates 31-33 so as to permit a steppedadvance of balls Thus, for example, the sequential closing of the twoswitches 72-73 in the two-base hit path 19 will effect a two-cycleoperation of the gates and a two-step advance of balls in thestations-that is, from first base to second base to third base. It willbe apparent that this same two-base advance of a ball from first tothird base may be effected by holding the gates 31-33 open for asufiicient period of time to allow a ball to roll from station 22 undergates 31 and 32 to station 24. Thus instead of having two switches 72-73in the two-base hit path 19, the switch contacts of switch 72 could beelongated so as to hold the solenoid 66 energized and therefore thegates in elevated position for the requisite period of time to effect atwo-base advance of the balls in stationsJ 22-24. Similarly the switchcontacts of switches 74 and 77 at the entrances of the three-base hitpath 20 and the homerun path 21 may be elongated to retain the solenoidenergized for a period corresponding to a three-base advance of theballs in the stations. It will be observed that the timing of the ballsrolling in the paths 17-21 may be controlled by the pitch or incline ofthese paths and also by the Width and depth of the paths--that is, thespacing between the ribs SI5-87 and side walls 89 and 91.

Balls directed into the out openings 41-44 in the upper part of theplaying field drop into an underlying chamber 96 provided by a housing97 under the top wall 88 defining the playing field. Housing 97 alsodenes a downwardly sloping ball-return chute 98, seen in Figure 5 andindicated generally in dotted lines in Figure 1, and which at itsdischarge end 99 re-enters the playing field adjacent the lower end 1.01of the field. As will be observed from Figures l and 3, the lower end ofthe field is bounded by a downwardly inclined end wall 102 along whichthe balls may gravitate to the shooting device 12. A counter 103 ismounted adjacent the end wall 102 for counting balls passing through theball-return chute 98. An interior partition wall 104 cooperates with theend wall 102 to define an existing passage 106 for balls passing counter103 to the shooting device, the latter being here located at thelowermost end 107 of the playing field in line with passageway 92. Theshooting device 12 may be simply composed of a spring-operated arm 108fixed at one end 109 for resilient springing action of its opposite end111 which is mounted to strike ball 13 in a pocket 112 at the lowerdischarge end ofppassage 106. Run exitway 26 also terminates in passage106 so that balls passing counter 27 willrroll to the pocket 112 of theshooting device. As will be understood, manual pulling back of arm end111 and then releasing the arm will be accompanied by an abruptresilient forward displacement of the arm end against ball 13, drivingthe ball over passageway 92 to the upper part 14 of the playing field.An interior curved guide 113 here cooperates with a curved end wall 114,forming an arcuate extension of side wall 91 to guide the ball in anarcuate orbit onto the upper end of the playing field. A ball so drivenmay strike a resilient abutment 116 at the other side of the playingfield and rebound for gravitation over the playing field past one of thestrike-out openings. A series of pins 117 may be mounted on the playingfield around the put-out openings 41-44. andadjacent the entrances topaths 17-21 for deflecting the balls. lf desired, a transparent coversuch as a glass sheet ,may be mounted in spaced relation over fthetop ofthe playing field.

Each of the hinged gates 51-53may be conveniently formed, as best ,seenin Figure 7, as a single length of wire bent to provide a top length 121providing-the ballengaging portion, and an end loop 122 terminating in astem 123 generally perpendicular to length 121V and extending therefromintermediate its ends so as to provide a medial pivotal axis. Stem 123is here journaled in andY ners are advanced around the bases in abaseball game.v

For this purpose the several gates 31-33 areconnected to a rocker shaft128 and extend radially therefrom in generally parallel relation tothetop of the playing field, the forwardly projecting ends ofthe gatesbeing curved downwardly, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, forintercepting balls in the stations 22-24. Joint raising of the gates ishere effected by mounting solenoid 66 under the center gate 32 and inVertical position for effecting when energized the upward travel of itsplunger 129, the latter being mounted to come up under and abruptlystrike the center gate 32, see Figure 2, thus abruptly raising gate 32and its connected gates 31 and 33. Since the gates are to be opened onlymomentarily so as to release balls in the station and then to close soas to trap the next ensuing ball, a stop 131 is provided on the rockershaft 128 to limit its rotary displacement. As here shown, the severalgates 31-33 may be formed as stiff metal wires and the center gate 32 isextended through the rocker shaft, as best seen in Figures l and 2, toproject fromv the opposite side and to provide a free end serving asstop 131, this end functioning on a predetermined raising of the gatesto strike the top surface of the playing field and cause a rapid returnof the gates to their normal weightbiased closed position.

Appropriate elevation of the upper end of the playing field to providethe desired incline thereof is here effected by a pair of depending feet132 and 133 which may rest on a table top 134 or other support. Theopposite end 136 of the wall 88 may be rested directly on the supportingsurface 134, as seen in Figure 3.

The functioning of the device in the playing of a simulated game ofbaseball is briefly summarized in part in the following: At the start ofthe batting series, a ball directed into the walk path 17 will find thefirst base station 22 open and roll therein against the lower end 61 ofhinged gate 51. The ball, depicted by ball 59 in Figure 6, will rollagainst gate 31 and in so doing will swing hinged gate 51 closed, thusclosing the first base station. A second ball directed over the walkpath will accordingly find the first base station closed and will travelon to second base station 23. On entering this station the ball willengage hinged gate 52 and swing this gate to close the second basestation. The player will'now have runners at first and second base inthe same manner as occurs when the first two men at bat are walked in abaseball game. Should the third ball be directed into the walk path 17,it will find both first and second base stations closed and roll on toand enter and close the third base station 24 thus filling the bases asin an actual baseball game. A fourth walk following the succession ofwalks above described would cause the fourth ball to travel past closedfirst, second and third base stations and into the run exitway 26 andpast counter 27, thus scoring a run. Counters 27 and 103 are here ofsimple starwheel form having a plurality of radially extending armswhich are engaged and displaced by balls passing the counters, each ballso passing causing a stepped advance of the counter Wheel. AThe wheelmay carry appropriate numerical legends as here'suggested to count theruns and outs.

A ball directed into the first basehit path -1S will roll past switch71, thus energizing solenoid 66 and effecting a cyclic opening Aandclosing of gates 31, 32 and 33. Thus Y a ball in the first basestation22 will be released to roll into the second base station; a ball in thesecond'base station will be releasedtoiroll into'the third base station;and a ball in the third base station will be released to roll into therun exit passage 26 to scoref As will be observed, the action hereisvidentical to the usual plays resulting in `a baseball game.

A ballV directed to the two-base hit path 1,9 willY travel l over andclose switches 72-73 and in so doing cause a double cycle opening andclosing of gates 31,-33 and thus effect a two-base advance of ballsinthe stations and sending homef any ball in either the second or thirdbase station.

A three-base hit, as represented by a ball directed into path 20, willsimilarly effect a three cycle opening and closing of the gates as theballv traverses switches 74, 75 and 76. The three-base hit ball will endup in thethird base station 24 but prior to reaching this position itwill have cleared the bases and 'sent all runners hoine. A- homerun asrepresented bythe directing of a` ball into Y path 21 will similarlyclear all of the bases as the ball traverses switches 77, 78 and 79.However in the case of a homerun the ball passes directly into the lrunexitway 26 to score.

In each of the above described plays it will be observed' thata ballentering and retained in the first or second `or` third base stationwill effect a closing of the station by a swinging shut of theassociated hinged gate v51-53 and so long as gates 31-33 are unactuated,any ensuing balls will be shunted past the closed base station.`vHowever when gates 31 -,33 are actuated byA a one, twovorthreebase hitor homerun to release balls inthe bas'e stations, the associated hingedgates 51-53 immediately swing open due to their weight bias so as tocoordinate with the other parts in the realistic playing of a baseballgame.

At any time during the above play a player may be put out by thedirection of a ball into one of the out openings 41-44 in the upper partof the playing field. Out balls return to the playing field throughchute 98 and past counter 103, and three outs retire the side in theusual fashion.

I claim:

1. A baseball game comprising, an inclined playing eld having aplurality of rst downwardly sloping ballconfining paths opening to adownwardly sloping diagonal path traversing the lower ends of said firstpaths and terminating at its lower end in a ball exitway, a plurality offirst gates extending into said diagonal path from the lower sidethereof and defining therewith a plurality of open upper endedball-receiving stations disposed on dei clining levels and aligned withand arranged to receive balls from the lower ends of said first paths, aplurality of hinged gates mounted in said diagonal path and normallybiased to positions aligned with said first paths for directing ballstherefrom into said stations, each of said hinged gates being formed andmounted for displacement by a ball guided thereby into its associatedstation to a position lying across and closing the normally open end ofsaid station and on a downwardly sloping diagonal so as to shunt ensuingballs from the closed station and to the next lower open station,electric means for effecting joint cyclic raising and lowering of saidfirst gates to effect on each cycle an advance of balls from one toanother of said stations and from the lowermost station to said exit-Way, and electric switches mounted in said iirst paths forclosing byballs rolling therethrough and connected for'- energizing said electricmeans, said hinged gates returning to their said normally biasedpositions upon release of balls from their associated stations.

2. A baseball game comprising, an inclined playing eld having aplurality of side-by-side downwardly sloping ball-confining pathsdenoted walk, one-base hit, twobase hit, three-base'hit and homerun;said homer-un path terminating in a run exitway; a downwardly slopingdiagonal path extending from said walk to said hornerun path and acrossthe lower ends of` said one-, twoand three-base hit paths; Said diagonalpath being widened opposite said one-, twoand three-base hit paths; aplurality of gates extending into theA widened part of said diagonalpath from the lower vside thereof and defining therewith a plurality ofopen upper ended ball-receiving stations disposed on declining levelsand aligned with the lower ends of said one-, twoand three-base hitpaths and being denoted as first base, second base and third base;electric means for effecting4 joint cyclic raising and lowering of saidgates `to effect on each cycle a single-step advance of balls from rstbase `to second base to third base to said run exitway; and electricswitches mounted in said one-, twoand three-base hit paths and saidhomerun path for effecting respectively a single, double, triple andtriple cyclic operation of said gates; a plurality of hinged gatesmounted medially in said widened part of said diagonal path and beingnormally biased to positions aligned with said one-, twoand three-basehit paths for directing balls therefrom into lsaid first, second andthird base stations; each of said hinged gates being formed and mountedfor displacement by a ball in its associated station to a position lyingacross and closing the normally open end of said associated station andon a downwardly sloping diagonal so as to shunt ensuing balls from theclosed station to the next lower open station, said hinged gatesreturning to their said normally biased positions upon release of ballsfrom their associated stations.

3. A baseball game as characterized in claim 2 and having a plurality ofball exiting openings in the upper` part of said field and denotedstrikeand y-outs, means providing a ball-receiving chamber underlyingsaid openings and a downwardly sloping ball return chute re-enteringsaid field adjacent the lower end thereof, a ball shooting device fordirecting balls onto the upper part of said field, means'leading ballsfrom said run exitway and said ball return chute to `said shootingdevice, and means counting balls passing through said ball return chuteand from said run exitway.v

4. A ballgame comprising, an inclined playing field havingrapluralitytof first downwardly sloping ball-coniining paths opening to adownwardly sloping diagonal path traversing the lower ends of said firstpaths and terminating at its lower end;in a ball exitway, a plurality ofgates in said diagonal `path defining a plurality of ballreceivingstationsdisposed ondeclining levels and aligned with and arranged tofreceive balls from the lower ends of said first paths, electriemeansfor effecting joint cyclical raising and lowering of said gates toeffect on each cycle an advance of balls from one to another of saidstations and from the Alowermost station to said exitway, electricswitches mounted `in said first paths for closing byballsr'rolling,therethrough and connected for energizing said electricmeansland a swinging gate having a normally biased position extendingacross said diagonal path and aligned with one of said first paths fordirecting a ball therefrom into an upper of said stations, said swinginggate being formed and mounted for displacement by a ball guided therebyinto said upper station to a position lying across and closing'saidupper station and a downwardly sloping diagonal so as to shunt ensuingballs from said closed position to .the next lower station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,973,820 Mac Dougall Sept. 18, 1934 2,050,309 Gensburg Aug. 11, 19362,051,229 Tigerman Aug. 1S, 1936

